In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Li Yuanchang took it and gave half to Cheng Chuliang. It was a fist-sized piece of meat, which the man swallowed in one gulp.

I don't even want to think about it, becoming this guy's wife, that would be...

"And this, Your Highness, I noticed your shoes don't fit properly, and you've gotten quite a few blisters along the way. You've been picking out shoes, so why don't you try these on?"

Gong Yun pulled out a pair of brand new boots.

"Where did it come from?" Li Yuanchang asked in surprise.

"I traded meat with people from the next county," Gong Yun grinned.

Li Yuanchang was moved. Gong Yun wasn't trying to curry favor with him, because he treated everyone the same.

He takes care of almost everyone who works under him; he is a truly rare and warm-hearted person.

"Thank you." He was very serious. He didn't respect many people, and not all of them were necessarily strong. Gong Yun was one of them.

Gong Yun smiled and said, "Your Highness is too kind. We are all comrades."

A single word, "comrade-in-arms," ​​is enough; no further explanation is needed.

When these two words are translated into later language, the most fitting meaning is "comrade-in-arms"!

After the meal, the area outside Youzhou City was still packed with people, and a steady stream of logistical laborers arrived one after another. Inside the military camp, the air was filled with the sound of snoring.

But Li Yuanchang just couldn't fall asleep.

He turned the note over and over again, repeatedly examining it, even though there had been no news for two or three years.

But he always felt that the handwriting on it looked a lot like Wu Zetian's, and even the tone of voice was similar.

With the army setting off, their first stop was Youzhou, and the last time the Black Ice Guard tracked down Wu Zetian was also in Youzhou.

After hesitating for a long time, he decided to take advantage of the time he had to resolve his doubts. The battle was about to begin, and he would no longer have any free time.

"Chu Liang, Bao Qi!"

He called out.

The two of them were snoring like an earthquake, and no matter how much they were called, they couldn't be woken up.

"Time to get up and drink!"

The two of them opened their eyes wide with surprise: "Where are we going to drink?!"

Li Yuanchang laughed loudly: "Drink my ass, get dressed and come with me."

Cheng Chuliang and Yuchi Baoqi continued to press, "Your Highness, are you going for a drink?"

Li Yuanchang ignored the two men, quickly walked out of the tent, found Guo Chao to give him instructions on military affairs, and then found Gong Yun to tell him that he needed to go to Youzhou City.

Gong Yun readily approved it, but instructed that the person must return early the next morning, otherwise it would be troublesome if they missed the Ministry of War's transfer order.

Youzhou City.

Although it is a cold and harsh place in the north, it is actually incredibly prosperous and has long been known as a fertile land that is a strategic location fought over by military strategists.

Coupled with Li Shimin's open attitude during his reign, trade between the Han and non-Han peoples was facilitated, leading to a large influx of labor and an exceptionally prosperous period, though it was quite different from the peaceful and prosperous times of the Central Plains.

Even when the Xueyantuo marched south and the fighting in southern Mongolia was fierce, and troops were constantly coming and going in Youzhou City, the city was still bustling with activity.

There was no escape, no migration; it was as if everyone in the Tang Dynasty was convinced that the Xueyantuo could not break in.

"Big brother, it looks pretty good."

"This Youzhou city isn't as bad as the rumors say. Isn't it quite prosperous? It's just that there are a lot of Hu people here."

"yes."

"Look, look! That orchid girl is fucking gorgeous!"

"hiss!!"

The two of them were like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, marveling at everything.

Li Yuanchang glanced to the side and almost fell to the ground. The Hu woman the two were talking about had wheat-yellow skin, was plump and strong, but had exceptionally beautiful breasts and buttocks.

He felt ashamed; perhaps everyone has different aesthetic standards.

The descendants of Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong all like this style.

He prefers white, the whiter the better, just looking at it is a pleasure.

"Why don't you play for a while? I'll come find you after I've finished my business."

Seeing that the two were reluctant to part, Li Yuanchang suggested that they act alone.

"No, brother!"

"We said we'd live and die together, we'd advance and retreat together."

"Women are like clothes, brothers are like hands and feet!" The two of them said in a serious tone, and immediately stopped looking.

"Hahaha!"

Li Yuanchang laughed loudly: "Alright, let's go then."

Seeing that he was heading towards a restaurant, the two men immediately became excited: "Brother, want a drink?"

The two inherited their father's genes and couldn't live without alcohol.

Li Yuanchang said irritably, "We asked for leave to come here. We're drinking while marching. When we get back, I'll give you two a good beating."

"Brother, why are you going in here? If you don't keep an eye on me, I can control myself, but if you do, how can I control myself?" Cheng Chuliang swallowed hard.

He had wanted to drink for a long time, but Li Yuanchang forbade it.

Don't ask.

"Just go."

Li Yuanchang strode in.

In ancient times, taverns and brothels, places where all sorts of people mingled, were the best places to gather information.

Although Wu Meiniang has disappeared without a trace, all four members of her family are women. Whether it is Wu Shun, her younger sister, or Meiniang, they are all natural beauties.

If such a family were to appear, it shouldn't be difficult to find out about them.

But in the next hour, Li Yuanchang visited more than twenty restaurants and inquired at various cosmetic shops, but found no similar information about the three sisters.

Li Yuanchang once suspected that Wu Meiniang had changed her name, because Huo Sanniang had said that the person who left the note seemed to be called something like Young Master Ling.

He then inquired about families with the surname Ling, and found that there were at least three hundred, if not five hundred, they were plentiful.

There's simply no way to visit them one by one.

Li Yuanchang had hoped that he could at least find some traces of the past, but to his dismay, Meiniang had truly vanished without a trace.

In this vast world, searching is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Brother, let's eat something first. We'll continue our search later. I refuse to believe we can turn the entire Youzhou upside down and still not find Lady Wu!"

"Yes, the person is definitely there, it just might take some time."

Cheng Chuliang and Yuchi Baoqi were eyewitnesses back then, so they naturally knew that this was Li Yuanchang's long-cherished wish.

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "You two have learned how to comfort people now, not bad."

"Hehehe." Cheng Chuliang chuckled foolishly.

"But no need. I thought that since I'm already here, I might as well try my luck. If I don't succeed, then it's just bad luck."

"Brother, why don't we go back and call all the brothers in to search together? Many hands make light work."

"yes."

Li Yuanchang shook his head. How could he dare to openly search for him? Although two or three years had passed, Li Shimin knew he would definitely be displeased.

Li Shimin's inner circle would certainly be unwilling to deal with Li Yuanchang, so getting rid of Wu Meiniang became inevitable.

"It's okay. If you're too eager, what you want will often slip away from you."

"But if fate allows, he will return."

The two men stared at each other with their large, round eyes, neither of them understanding any of this philosophical talk.

He just sighed.

"Since we're already here, let's go out and buy some good stuff to take back for the brothers to enjoy." Li Yuanchang took out a large bag of gold beans.

Unlike copper coins, which are heavy and inconvenient to carry, this thing is far more valuable than copper coins. Whenever he goes out, Situ Lan will prepare a bag for him.

Their eyes lit up instantly: "Brother, can we buy some wine?"

Li Yuanchang's forehead was covered in black lines.

"Hehe, I'm not buying it, I'm not buying it."

"This godforsaken place, Youzhou, is full of Baiweifang's wines, stealing my brother and sister-in-law's business. We can't let others' business grow while diminishing our own prestige."